Landing gear typically refers to the undercarriage (and parts thereof, including, for example, suspension systems) of an aircraft or spacecraft. In the context of the present disclosure, landing gear may also refer to the undercarriage (and parts thereof) of an air droppable vehicle. For aircraft, landing gear (suspension system) supports the craft when it is not flying, allowing it to take off, land, and be taxied without damage to the craft. Some landing gears include skids, skis, or floats. In the context of the present disclosure, landing gear includes at least one wheel, coverable by, or attachable to, a wheel covering, such as a tire.
Landing impacts create severe traumas to landing gears (or parts thereof), making them prone to occasional replacements or/and continuous maintenance involving disassemblies of the landing gear (or parts thereof). In scenarios involving landings of air droppable vehicles, such vehicles are usually designed only for land travel and not for absorbing high magnitude impact shocks which typically occur in air drops. Use of parachutes connected to air droppable vehicles, for effecting air landings thereof, has both mechanical and operational limitations.
Exemplary teachings and practices of wheel suspension and damping equipment, particularly suitable for (non-air bound) land travel type vehicles, by the same applicant/assignee of the present disclosure, are provided in WIPO PCT Pat. Appl. Int'l. Pub. Nos.: WO 2014/170745; WO 2013/061121; WO 2012/153170; and WO 2012/104691.